Ashley Graham reveals plans to revolutionize the fashion industry | Daily Mail …

July 17, 2015 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events

Ashley, 28, posed for a photoshoot with The Coveteur at her home in Brooklyn
The plus-size model revealed her ongoing struggle to find acceptance within the fashion industry
She revealed that a model agent once tried to bribe her to lose weight

Valerie Siebert For Dailymail.com

Published:
17:58 EST, 16 July 2015

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Updated:
18:16 EST, 16 July 2015

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She’s become a lingerie designer, made history as the first plus-sized model to grace the pages of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue – but model Ashley Graham has her sights set even higher.

The 28-year-old model and body confidence advocate, revealed in a recent interview with The Coveteur that she hopes one day to fill the shoes of some of her biggest modeling heroes, like Kathy Ireland, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Cindy Crawford.

‘Those girls, I mean I’ve watched their careers and they have just blossomed into extraordinary and amazing things,’ the Lincoln, Nebraska, native siad. ‘I can’t wait to be the curvier version of all of them.’

Brunette ambition: Plus-size model Ashley Graham revealed in a new interview with The Coveteur that she wants to become the ‘curvier version’ of supermodels like Cyndi Crawford and Tyra Banks

On her way up: Ashley made fashion waves this year after becoming the first plus-size model to grace the pages of Sports Illustrated, albeit in an advertisement

Fun and care-free: The new interview was accompanied by a photoshoot featuring Ashley frolicking on the rooftop of her Brooklyn home in just her underwear and sneakers

The model has been shaking up the fashion industry for some time now, encouraging women to embrace their curves and cellulite and even recently helping to design a plus-size lingerie line inspired by 50 Shades of Grey.

But speaking in her latest interview, Ashley revealed the long, hard road she has traveled to achieve such success, while also showing off her curves in a stunning underwear shoot which took place on the roof of her Brooklyn home, which she shares with her husband Justin Ervin.

‘I had an agent wave money in my face and say “if you go from a size 18 to a 14, you will make all of this money and more” and I still didn’t even have the gumption to lose the weight,’ she said.

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Her own work: The shoot saw Ashley modelling a set of lingerie from her latest line with Canada’s Addition Elle, who she has been designing for since 2013

The long haul: In the interview Ashley discussed her battle against modelling industry agents who constantly told her to lose weight since she was only 12 years old

Needed support: Ashley said that her mother helped her overcome criticism from industry people by laughing off their weight-loss recommendations

‘It was really when I said, “I don’t care what people think about me, I’m not going to change the way I look for clients, I just want to do what makes me happy and be happy doing it.” That’s when I got really healthy and I went down to a 14/16.’

She eventually conquered the critics, but also revealed that she couldn’t have done so if it hadn’t been for the support of her mother who, when industry people told Ashley to lose weight at just 12 years old, simply laughed off the idea.

‘That gave me so much confidence because if my mom didn’t think I needed to lose weight, then obviously I didn’t need to. You look up to your parents or whoever raises you for that validation and that was something that my mother was not even concerned about,’ she said.

Sorting priorities: Ashley, who is a strong believer that women can be healthy at any size, went from a size 18 to 14 to ‘get healthy’ and stayed put

Like no one’s watching: Other photos from the shoot show the brunette beauty dancing in a colorful shirt dress around her Brooklyn home

Going for a ride: Aside from modelling, Ashley is becoming a seasoned designer and has also ventured into public speaking

Ashley shows off that confidence in her fun and gorgeous new photo shoot, which sees her in just a pair of white sneakers and a set of teal lace underwear – from her latest Addition Elle line – frolicking around a rooftop.

More photos show the model in a multicolored shirt dress dancing in her apartment and cycling in the street.

Further intimate images also offer a glimpse into Ashley home, after she allowed cameras access to her fridge, closet and beauty product collection.

Along with the photos, the curvy beauty, who has also ventured into public speaking, revealed that exfoliation at night, a simple rinse in the morning with serum and moisturizer is her key to gorgeous skin. She also champions the use of rose water spray.

Always learning: Ashley told the magazine that her evolution of style has changed from the sort of sexy that involves showing skin to being sexy in everything including ‘a turtleneck dress all the way down to the ankles’

Looking around: Other photos from the shoot feature items from around Ashley’s home, which she shares with husband Justin Ervin

Icons: Ashley singled out Kim Kardashian and Beyonce as two celebrities with style she admires

Kim Kardashian and Beyonce are named as style influences for the plus-sized stunner and she also revealed that her first designer splurge a Betsy Johnson dress she bought when she moved to New York at age 17 – adding that her personal style has been a long time forming.

‘I’ve always dressed kind of sexy but I feel like I’ve perfected the sexy into something that isn’t necessarily slutty,’ she explained. ‘I think when I was younger I would be like “oh if my belly’s out I’m ultimately sexy”.

‘You can have a turtleneck dress all the way down to the ankles and it still be super sexy. I let my curves be my accessory and I like to dress up my curves.’